Video: Dutch trio claims North Pole for Netherlands in Putin satire

A trio of filmmakers from Amsterdam have attempted to embarrass Russia in a playful satire on Vladimir Putin. The trio planted the Dutch flag on the exact same spot the Russians placed their flag in the North Pole several years earlier. They planted the flag on the exact location where the Russian flag is sitting, under some 4,200 meters of ice. The three filmmakers, Erik Hensel, Boris Lange and Oligar Wolff organized the mission thus claiming the same area as the Russians for Hansel’s website, Lifehunters.tv. The entire journey was captured on film, just like the President Putin's settlers. "Provoking with a wink", Hensel explains. Heated debates have been held for years over who has claim to the land under the Arctic Ocean as raw materials, such as oil and gas, are believed to become more and more available from underneath the melting ice cap. Norway, Denmark and Russia have all staked claims in the region. During his talks with residents of the northern most region belonging to Norway, Boris noted that they may have Norwegian passports, but in Moscow they consider the villagers as compatriots. The online program hopes to get a laugh out of the Russians, de Telegraaf reported Boris saying, “The best thing would be to get a call from the Kremlin with the invitation for a cup of coffee.”